2 Boats Reported Missing in Philippines

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, January 31, 2003

Two boats with 25 people on board were missing Saturday as strong winds whipped up rough seas in the southern Philippines, officials said.

The coast guard said there were unconfirmed reports that the ML Rabia with eight crewmen and 11 passengers had sunk on the way from Taganak island in the southernmost province of Tawi-Tawi to Zamboanga city on Mindanao island.

The vessel left Taganak, about 590 miles southwest of Manila, on Tuesday but had not reached its destination, said Lt. Commander Epifanio Navarro. The trip usually takes two days, he said.

Another vessel, the ML Parhana-2, left Tawi-Tawi's Mapun island on Tuesday but failed to arrive in the port of Bongao. There was no word on what happened to the vessel, which had six crewmen and a cargo of bananas on board.

Navarro said it was possible that the two boats, which were reported missing on Thursday, were delayed by rough seas.

"We alerted our stations and the navy to be on the lookout. We also alerted watercraft transiting through the area to be on the lookout," Navarro said.

Lt. Nancy Pastor, spokeswoman of the Philippine navy on Mindanao island, said a navy team was searching for the boats.

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Pirates ply waters in the area, but Navarro said there was no indication that the boats were attacked.